BlackSabbath4Ever has helped me write so many chapters I should have him be the co-author of this story. Also, BlackSabbath4Ever is on business until somewhere in July and I need his help for a bunch of reasons so you probably have to wait one or two months for the next chapter everyone.

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The four ended up resting longer than they anticipated. San returned with eight squirrels for dinner; they left nothing for the following day. They only realized this fact when it was too late. Ashitaka and Shojubo laughed it off, though San and Ayuto were less amused. Their full stomachs made it difficult to remain awake when combined with their exhausted bodies. Shojubo suggested resting for several minutes more, a half hour at most. By the time San awoke, the first of the four, the sun had risen and welcomed a new day. She let out a sound which was a mix of a growl and a sigh. Ayuto woke up not long after, and they awoke Ashitaka and Shojubo.

"We're lucky to not have been captured." Ayuto said.

"Yakul would have warned us." Ashitaka reassured. The elk brushed his nose against Ashitaka's hair in affirmation.

"Be that as it may, we have no way of knowing where the Emperor and his men are."

"That human was the Emperor? The gangly elder one?" San asked. She had focused more on his guard rather than the man himself. While she had time to reflect and think to herself, she couldn't imagine that he was supposed to be the man others borderline worshipped. Humans were stupider than she thought.

"He's quite old at this point," Shojubo replied, "The Emperor's gone so far as to killing spirits to try and attain immortality."

San never forgot, she just couldn't believe that man was the one who demanded the Forest Spirit's head. He had no strength of his own and had to steal it from others, and even then failed that task. She wanted to break his thin neck with her own hands. Nothing would bring back the Forest Spirit or her mother, but if everything led back to that man, ending his life like he did to so many others would be well enough.

"Let's press on." Ashitaka suggested, "They may be here for all we know and we need to get going."

"What about Toki and Kohroku?" Shojubo asked, "And what happened to Jii-san?"

Ashitaka fell silent. Part of him wanted to sprint back to where he last saw either of the three. Another part screamed at him to stay away, that only death awaited him at that path. He wondered if that was his natural instinct or Moro's warning echoing in his mind.

"I'm not sure what happened to Jii-san. Perhaps he and the others were captured. If that's what happened, we need to come up with a plan to rescue them. Let's get out of this forest first."

Everybody nodded in agreement. They gathered their belongings and decided to follow San. Although it was not her home, she could tell when they were getting close to the forest's edge. The trees would be less densely spaced, the canopy would allow more light, and the various animal sounds would soften. She led them through paths which Yakul could easily navigate. Morning had turned into the afternoon by the time they were out of the woodland.

"I think there's a village nearby." Shojubo said, "Maybe there we can find something?"

"Like what?" San asked.

"I don't know, maybe where Toki, Kohroku, and Jii-san were taken? The soldiers could have stopped there."

"They'll recognize us."

"If they're there, I can figure out where they took them." Ayuto offered.

"Are you sure?" Shojubo asked.

"It will probably take a while but I can discern their location eventually."

As Ashitaka, San, and Shojubo rested at a small inn, Ayuto wandered the streets at night. Though small, the village was quite lively both night and day. Ayuto scanned those still in the streets. Restaurants glowed yellow from lanterns within. The streets were noisy from those chatting inside. She poked her head in through the front doors, quickly glancing inside to find her marks. At a crowded bar, laughing at the top of their lungs, were two soldiers. Neither belonged to the Emperor's guard, though they were speaking of the man. A woman led Ayuto to a vacant table. It was close enough for her to hear the men, though far away enough so that they wouldn't immediately notice her.

Ayuto's senses melted and became dedicated to her hearing. Every face in the restaurant distorted and faded to black. The most important detail was where the others had been taken. Formulating a plan would come later.

"Hey, woman! Another jug over here!" One of the two men barked. The same woman who led Ayuto to her seat arrived to the samurai, a jug of sake in her hands. He snatched it from her and immediately poured a cup full.

"Go easy on that stuff or you'll regret it in the morning." His comrade remarked, though he was woozy himself, "We've gotta get going early tomorrow."

"We aren't set out to go for four more days. I'll be fine by then... I hope."

"Well, we got a this missive, meant for all samurai in the area, actually, that says otherwise. We're off to Kesshikodo, up north."

"What for?"

"Ah, prisoners of war that need guarding or something like that. We're probably just going to kill them anyways, so I don't see the point."

"As long as they give us food, right?"

Ayuto's senses came flooding back. Kesshikodo, a name she was unfamiliar with, was where Toki, Kohroku, and Jii-san would be found. She ordered a light meal from the returning waitress, using what little money she had to keep up her "innocent bystander" appearance.

A half hour passed and Ayuto finished, returning to the others at the rented out inn. The two samurai who she eavesdropped upon were still in the restaurant when she left. She found the three gathered into one large room that was to be shared by all. Ayuto relayed what information she could discover.

"We should go see we're dealing with before making a plan." Ayuto advised, "We may be charging against a fortress for all we know."

Ashitaka, San, and Shojubo nodded. They wouldn't be of any use to the others as corpses. Night had fallen and the morning was long to approach. Their bodies were no longer exhausted, though their lost energy did make them tired. Nobody had eaten a great deal; even Ayuto's meal was little more than a small rice bowl with fish sauce. San and Ashitaka rolled out a large futon, fit for two people, while Shojubo and Ayuto found two smaller ones. In less than ten minutes, Ashitaka and San fell asleep in unison.

Shojubo lay awake with his hands folded behind his head. Ayuto was several feet away, lying on her side.

"Shojubo." She asked suddenly.

"Yes?" He replied.

"What will happen if a battle occurs tomorrow?"

"Well, I'd fight."

Ayuto was silent for ten seconds before replying, "I see."

Shojubo opened his mouth to ask about her question, but he shut it at the last second. He still didn't know much about Ayuto. Judging by her skill in battle and keen mind, she likely had a good reason for asking. Maybe she would have found him a weapon to defend himself if he said no. Perhaps she was thinking of teaching him some sort of special technique. The thought soon faded away as his weariness overtook and put him to sleep.